


snails have shells, but all these have is—nothing

by hotgirl



Series: naisen [6]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Haruno Sakura-centric, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Mokuton User Haruno Sakura, Summons & Summoning Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22820653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotgirl/pseuds/hotgirl
Summary: Sakura is fourteen when she steals snake eyes for a slug.or: how sakura signed her slug contract
Relationships: Dai-nana-han | Team 7 & Haruno Sakura, Haruno Sakura & Katsuyu, Haruno Sakura & Tsunade
Series: naisen [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1081791
Comments: 6
Kudos: 278





	snails have shells, but all these have is—nothing

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this in 10 minutes so.
> 
> title comes from brian swann's [slugs](https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poems/55666/slugs)

When Sakura is fourteen and all alone, she learns why it's called Shikkotsu Forrest.

The boys she loves enough to make her heart ache and her ribs tremble left her. She left too with her shishou's permission. She came to be worthy of bringing Sasuke home, of standing by Naruto's side, of learning under Kakashi-sensei. She will love her boys and learn to love herself until they can love her back, even if the slugs won't have her.

Training with Yamato-sensei has taught her that forests are her friends. She can part trees like the red sea and so she does. She's gotten through this forest faster than she should have. Snake bones litter the muddy floor and Sakura crushes them with each step she takes. Katsuyu-sama lives deeper still in the forest. Tsunade-shishou had told her.

The namekujira had spit up onto her when she mistook it for Katsuyu-sama. Her hair and clothes stick to her uncomfortably, but she knows this would never stop Naruto or Sasuke and so she persists. In doing so, she stumbles upon the decomposing carcass of a snake. She cuts its eyes out with her kunai as an offering to Katsuyu-sama like shishou had advised her; Shizune had failed to make a contract with the slug for not bringing one.

When Sakura meets Katsuyu-sama, she bows with the snake eyes held out. Katsuyu-sama asks her her name.

"Haruno Sakura," she says, knowing better than to follow shinobi customs here, "I — I'm civilian-born, but I'm the disciple of Senju Tsunade-shishou."

The slug lets Sakura touch her. She's damp and slimy but Sakura feels her cuts and bruises fade into nothingness. "Sakura-san," Katsuyu-sama says, "you wish to forge a contract?"

"Yes, Katsuyu-sama," she bows her head once more.

"Bite your thumb, child," the slug instructs.

Sakura listens and watches her blood drip down to the ground at her feet. She raises a wooden podium from nothing and watches the contract of the slugs come to life upon it. She signs it under all the stars in the night sky.

**Author's Note:**

> i love comments and if u wanna ask me anything abt this series my tumblr is @[hotgirlsakura](http://hotgirlsakura.tumblr.com)! 
> 
> if you really liked it, check out the links on my blog


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